Double Vision

[Matt5]

Just great @Robbie C.

[mjcmmv]

Double Vision Part 18-Sonny

 

"We've been barking up the wrong tree all along," Sonny growled. "Martinez has never been in contact with Ramirez, and that probably goes for Huong, too."

"Those facts don't surprise me," Marty closed Crockett's four page report from the night before and looked up at them, as if expecting more from his two detectives. Feeling restless, Sonny stood and began to pace.

"From what I see, Huong is nothing but a low-life bottom-feeder. And aside from some family left behind in China, there's no way he has any significant ties to an Asian pipeline. 

Sonny knew this wasn't a smart thing to say and he could feel the heat from Castillo's laser-like stare. "We still need to eliminate all possibilities," his boss said in a quiet voice.  "Go to the hospital and report back to me when you finished questioning him."

The blonde detective looked away,  knowing full well his opinion didn't count for much when it came to Marty and the ghosts from his past.

"Okay, Lieutenant," he sighed.  "We'll get right on it."

Rico was livid. "This investigation is going no-where, and you know it, Crockett!" 

Sonny glanced at his partner as they pulled into the Biscayne General parking lot. "I say we interrogate the punk and see where it goes. Then, let the Lieutenant follow up with some questions to satisfy his itch. He won't find anything; we know that."

Rico didn't answer right away, and Sonny knew his partner was taking his time to think things over. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said finally.  "Fighting it is useless. Let him take the lead for now."

They flashed their badges and were escorted to a private room on the fourth floor. An officer sitting outside the door gave them a nod when he saw them coming closer. "He's all yours, fellas."

"Don't take too long," the nurse was insisting. "He's lost a lot of blood, so he's not out of the woods just yet."

"Yeah, okay." Sonny tried hard not to smirk as he opened the door.  

Like I care whether he's at death's door or not. 

"So, Mickey, baby! How ya doing? Maybe you don't recognize us, but we're the two dudes you and your buddy Martinez tried to blow away last night."

Michael Huong shifted in the hospital bed and winced. "I know who you are," he mumbled.

"Hurts a bit now, doesn't it, Mickey? Imagine if we'd aimed a little to the left or maybe up toward your forehead. Well then, we'd  have a whole different story, now, wouldn't we. Imagine it. Instead of lying there on a soft clean bed, you'd be on some hard metal table , slit down the middle like a gutted fish. We spared your life, so you owe us a great big 'thank you'! Don't you think he should be grateful, Rico?"

Rico wasn't in the mood for listening to Sonny's taunts. He walked over to the side of the bed and pulled the call button out of the wounded man's hand. "We need to ask you a few questions, Huong. And if you don't waste my time, maybe I'll let you have the buzzer back so you can ask the nurse for your next pain shot." 

"Hey, you can't do that!"

"Oh, yes, he can! And he's not in a good mood this morning, Mickey, so take some advice and tread lightly."

"I have rights, and this is police brutality."

"I guess you could say that. But for now, I wouldn't be shooting off my mouth about 'brutality' if I were you." 

Sonny swung one of the metal chairs close to Huong's bedside. "So, for starters, let's establish the facts. First of all, you're in partnership with Tommy Martinez, and you do transportation for him. Secondly, you have a girlfriend by the name of Niki Liu. Am I right so far?"

"I know Nikki, but she has nothing to do with any of this. And I don't do transport. I let Martinez use my boats, so that's the extent of our relationship."

"That doesn't explain why you came along for the ride. Or why you had that machine gun by your side when we arrested you."

"Martinez asked me to come, and he left the gun with me, for protection, just in case."

"Yeah, sure," Sonny scoffed. "You were hiding in that boat because we didn't spot you at first. Then Rico noticed some movement out on the water, and called Martinez on it. You weren't just along for the ride. You were getting ready to blow us away once Martinez got the money."

"That's a good story, officer. But all you have to go on is the word of Tommy Martinez. He's got a lot to lose if he goes down for this by himself. Turning me in as the main guy gives him some bargaining power with the DA."

"Know a little something about the law, eh Mikey. Maybe that's because you've been up on charges yourself a few times."
 
 "No mystery there. I'm sure you've seen my sheet."

"As a matter of fact, I have. And, I read up on your family background, too. Your parents got here in the fifties, but there were still a lot of relatives left behind in the homeland. So, tell me, do you keep in touch with any of them? Maybe you're in business with someone over there, and maybe they've been supplying you with some valuable cargo. Believe me,  that's something we can find out. So why don't you save us all the trouble of a lengthy investigation, and just tell us what we need to know."

"You're crazy," Huong muttered. "Just get out of here and take your smart mouth with you, Detective. I have nothing more to say. And like I said before, I know my rights. I want my lawyer right here beside me before I answer any more of your stupid questions."

[Robbie C.]

Double Vision 19 - Rico

Rico turned and gave Sonny a look. "You know, Mikey, once that lawyer gets here there are no deals on the table. At least not for you. Means Tommy gets first and only crack at a way out of this. Your worst nightmare come true, chump."

Huong's eyes went wide. "There's a deal?"

"Not for you. Not anymore. Now we gotta go call that lawyer you ordered. Is that one from column A or two from column B?" Rico grinned.

"Wait! Maybe I don't need a lawyer. Not yet, at least."

"Now you're finally talking sense." Rico slid his chair closer, easing Sonny in the background. "Just you and me here. Two guys talkin' over business. Am I right? Good. Now tell me one thing. Did you get the idea from your pal Charlie before he got his self scattered all over that quarry?"

Huong shifted and groaned, sweat beading on his forehead. "Man, this really hurts. Can I..."

"Just answer a couple questions and I'll buzz her in for you. Maybe get you a sponge bath in the bargain." Rico smiled. "Now, about Charlie..."

"We knew him from way back. Before Callie he was a punk. Then she picked him up and made him. Rippin' small-time dealers left and right and getting to tap that piece? Man...that's the life."

"So you're sayin' you and Tommy..."

"No, man. We were hoping Nikki could be bait like Callie. But she's too damned flakey."

"She's a junkie, Mikey. You can't expect much."

"I didn't know that when we got started." Huong groaned again and closed his eyes. "Charlie said Callie had this book. Place where she wrote down her marks. He got us a copy. Only the pages they hadn't gotten to yet. Said there was enough names there she wouldn't mind sharing a few. Course we had our own list, but..."

Rico grinned at the lie. "But why let it go to waste, especially with him dead and her locked up?" He leaned closer. "What about the boat?"

"We both went in on that. It ain't mine, but it also ain't his. It's kinda ours. Damned good for picking up the ladies, and if we ended up having to move product we'd need it."

"So you'd never used it before? Not for anything other than chasing tail?"

"Yeah. Same for the blaster. We scored that from Charlie's other car. Not like he was gonna need it any time soon. And your pal there...he's gonna be disappointed. My family ain't had no contact with the 'homeland.' Hell, I doubt if any of 'em are still alive. Me an' Tommy were just looking out for number one, you know?"

"Yeah, I do." Rico hit the buzzer. "She'll be in soon with another shot, kid. But I gotta be sure. There's no Asian connection, no big master plan, just two chumps trying to move up in the game?"

"Yeah." Huong's eyes opened. "It sounds kinda dumb when you say it like that."

"That's because it is dumb." Rico got to his feet. "I'll let the DA know you cooperated. That'll help quite a bit."

Sonny had someone managed to keep his mouth shut, but he boiled over as soon as they left the room. "What the hell was that all about?"

"It's called interrogation, son. You should try it sometime." Rico grinned. "Leaning on him was getting us nowhere fast. And you got him to play the lawyer card, remember? I had to get him to put that back in the deck."

"Yeah, but Castillo's gonna be pissed."

"We just tell him what the kid said. They were just two punks looking to move up in the world." Rico turned and looked back at the hospital room. "And we know where that got them."

[mjcmmv]

Double Vision 20-Sonny

 

When he heard what Sonny had to say, Castillo was somber, but surprisingly, not angry. "Huong's confessed all this without a lawyer present? Did he ask for one?" 

Sonny paused. "Yeah. But Rico came up with the brilliant idea of giving Huong the impression Martinez had a deal on the table. Huong changed his tune pretty quick, and almost begged us to forget about the lawyer and let him cooperate."

"If he changes his mind and insists he was denied the right to have one, his statement may be thrown out. It'll be your word against his."

"We read him his rights, Marty. Once we get him in here, he can repeat what he told us for the record, and I'm sure his lawyer will want to get the best deal he can for his client."

"At least he backs up what Martinez had to say. What about the girl? Was she in on it?"

"Huong says Nikki had nothing to do with the attempted rip-off. But she was part of the con in the beginning. She was supposed to lure the men with the cash, but Martinez found out the girl was a junkie and cut her loose."

"Bring her in for questioning anyway. Convincing her to cooperate may help box Huong into a corner."

Sonny thought about Rico's reaction to this idea, and grinned. "Got it, Lieutenant." Then, he watched Castillo pinch the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. 

"I wanted to find an Asian connection," he said. "Maybe I wanted it too much."

Startled by the Lieutenant's admission, Sonny stared over at him in disbelief. "Hey, I was chasing ghosts, too, Lieutenant. We both saw things that weren't there. Let's face it, we'd never have been satisfied until we turned over every rock just to be sure."

"I'm the one in charge. It's up to me to be objective. I can't let events from my past prejudice my decisions on the job."

"If anything, your past enhances your decision-making. It presents possibilities that other commanders might never consider. Yeah, we took a little detour. But so what? As usual, you were thorough, and that's what counts, in my book."

Castillo opened his eyes and looked up. "Thanks, Sonny. And your search for a link to Ramirez was understandable as well. Considering the tip you got, it was reasonable to assume this was a way to get close."

"The tip came from a good source, but it was more of a rumor than reality. Rico warned me. He saw what this was from the beginning-just two punks borrowing a con from a dead guy and a woman in jail for murder."

"Rico was the voice of reason this time. He was able to keep an open mind and made sure the investigation stayed on track."

"I owe him. But if I tell him that, he'll never let me forget it, so if you don't mind, let's keep this between us, Lieutenant."

The OCB bullpen was quiet for a change. Most of the detectives were out on assignment, and the secretaries were out to lunch. Sonny saw Rico watching him as he came out of Castillo's office. 

"So, what's the verdict?" he heard him ask.

Sonny grinned. "Well, we may have overstepped our bounds a little with that hospital interrogation, but I convinced him we had Huong in the palm of our hand. I guess I have you to thank for that."

"Forget it. That's what partners are for, buddy."

"Well, thanks for not gloating, Rico!" Then, he paused, trying not to laugh. "Now, I have some even better news to tell you."

Rico's eyes narrowed. "Oh, yeah? What?"

"Castillo wants us to pick up Nikki. Says her statement will add some weight to the case."

Rico's groan was barely audible. "Making contact with that hell-cat again? You've got to be kidding."

"Sorry, buddy. Castillo mentioned you specifically." 

"Sounds more like you threw me under the bus, Crockett."

"What, me? Naw! After seeing you two at the club, I realized I was gonna need back-up. Just think of it this way, Rico. When we find her, you get to handcuff her. That's something I know you're gonna enjoy. And, if she puts up a fight, well, I'll be right behind you, ready to lend a hand."

"Don't expect me to be grateful for that offer," Rico muttered as he stood up and pulled his jacket off the back of the chair. "Okay. Let's get this over with. I have plans for tonight-and I don't want to be stuck here until all hours, questioning a hostile witness who has a grudge against the arresting officer."

"Like I said, Rico. I'll be right behind you," Sonny chuckled as he led the way out into the deserted hallway. 

Edited May 31, 2020 by mjcmmv

[mjcmmv]

I really enjoyed doing this with Robbie and want to thank him for the opportunity,. For those of you who commented, I want to thank you as well.

Robbie and I are writing stories that reflect our own interpretation of the show and since fans have their own ideas of how the characters would act, it isn't easy to appeal to a large audience. Still, it's our attempt to keep the show alive, so we're committed to keep it going. 

Thanks again for reading our "stuff". And thanks to the site for letting us post our creations. 

Sending my regards to you all!

MJ

Edited May 30, 2020 by mjcmmv

[Robbie C.]

I though it would be an interesting exercise to work with our other prolific author and see where it took us. MJ mainly writes Sonny-centric stuff, whereas I tend to wander all over the place, so I figured it would be natural for her to take Sonny's POV. Initially I toyed with using Castillo's POV, but I do have a fondness for Tubbs and decided it was Rico's eyes that would contribute to our Double Vision. Hope y'all enjoyed it.

[vicegirl85]

I've enjoyed it very much!  You two put together a really good story that kept me reading and trying to figure the outcome.  Great work!

[Matt5]

12 hours ago, vicegirl85 said:

I've enjoyed it very much!  You two put together a really good story that kept me reading and trying to figure the outcome.  Great work!

Yes it is great piece- thoroughly enjoyable.

 

[Matt5]

Thanks 

20 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

I though it would be an interesting exercise to work with our other prolific author and see where it took us. MJ mainly writes Sonny-centric stuff, whereas I tend to wander all over the place, so I figured it would be natural for her to take Sonny's POV. Initially I toyed with using Castillo's POV, but I do have a fondness for Tubbs and decided it was Rico's eyes that would contribute to our Double Vision. Hope y'all enjoyed it.

Great piece Thankyou 

[Robbie C.]

15 hours ago, vicegirl85 said:

I've enjoyed it very much!  You two put together a really good story that kept me reading and trying to figure the outcome.  Great work!

What was interesting is it was pretty organic. There was almost no revising, and the whole thing moved along based on a very brief plot sketch.

[mjcmmv]

2 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

What was interesting is it was pretty organic. There was almost no revising, and the whole thing moved along based on a very brief plot sketch.

It was a great exercise-I really enjoyed it!

[Matt5]

On 5/26/2020 at 2:49 AM, mjcmmv said:

Double Vision Part 18-Sonny

 

"We've been barking up the wrong tree all along," Sonny growled. "Martinez has never been in contact with Ramirez, and that probably goes for Huong, too."

"Those facts don't surprise me," Marty closed Crockett's four page report from the night before and looked up at them, as if expecting more from his two detectives. Feeling restless, Sonny stood and began to pace.

"From what I see, Huong is nothing but a low-life bottom-feeder. And aside from some family left behind in China, there's no way he has any significant ties to an Asian pipeline. 

Sonny knew this wasn't a smart thing to say and he could feel the heat from Castillo's laser-like stare. "We still need to eliminate all possibilities," his boss said in a quiet voice.  "Go to the hospital and report back to me when you finished questioning him."

The blonde detective looked away,  knowing full well his opinion didn't count for much when it came to Marty and the ghosts from his past.

"Okay, Lieutenant," he sighed.  "We'll get right on it."

Rico was livid. "This investigation is going no-where, and you know it, Crockett!" 

Sonny glanced at his partner as they pulled into the Biscayne General parking lot. "I say we interrogate the punk and see where it goes. Then, let the Lieutenant follow up with some questions to satisfy his itch. He won't find anything; we know that."

Rico didn't answer right away, and Sonny knew his partner was taking his time to think things over. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he said finally.  "Fighting it is useless. Let him take the lead for now."

They flashed their badges and were escorted to a private room on the fourth floor. An officer sitting outside the door gave them a nod when he saw them coming closer. "He's all yours, fellas."

"Don't take too long," the nurse was insisting. "He's lost a lot of blood, so he's not out of the woods just yet."

"Yeah, okay." Sonny tried hard not to smirk as he opened the door.  

Like I care whether he's at death's door or not. 

"So, Mickey, baby! How ya doing? Maybe you don't recognize us, but we're the two dudes you and your buddy Martinez tried to blow away last night."

Michael Huong shifted in the hospital bed and winced. "I know who you are," he mumbled.

"Hurts a bit now, doesn't it, Mickey? Imagine if we'd aimed a little to the left or maybe up toward your forehead. Well then, we'd  have a whole different story, now, wouldn't we. Imagine it. Instead of lying there on a soft clean bed, you'd be on some hard metal table , slit down the middle like a gutted fish. We spared your life, so you owe us a great big 'thank you'! Don't you think he should be grateful, Rico?"

Rico wasn't in the mood for listening to Sonny's taunts. He walked over to the side of the bed and pulled the call button out of the wounded man's hand. "We need to ask you a few questions, Huong. And if you don't waste my time, maybe I'll let you have the buzzer back so you can ask the nurse for your next pain shot." 

"Hey, you can't do that!"

"Oh, yes, he can! And he's not in a good mood this morning, Mickey, so take some advice and tread lightly."

"I have rights, and this is police brutality."

"I guess you could say that. But for now, I wouldn't be shooting off my mouth about 'brutality' if I were you." 

Sonny swung one of the metal chairs close to Huong's bedside. "So, for starters, let's establish the facts. First of all, you're in partnership with Tommy Martinez, and you do transportation for him. Secondly, you have a girlfriend by the name of Niki Liu. Am I right so far?"

"I know Nikki, but she has nothing to do with any of this. And I don't do transport. I let Martinez use my boats, so that's the extent of our relationship."

"That doesn't explain why you came along for the ride. Or why you had that machine gun by your side when we arrested you."

"Martinez asked me to come, and he left the gun with me, for protection, just in case."

"Yeah, sure," Sonny scoffed. "You were hiding in that boat because we didn't spot you at first. Then Rico noticed some movement out on the water, and called Martinez on it. You weren't just along for the ride. You were getting ready to blow us away once Martinez got the money."

"That's a good story, officer. But all you have to go on is the word of Tommy Martinez. He's got a lot to lose if he goes down for this by himself. Turning me in as the main guy gives him some bargaining power with the DA."

"Know a little something about the law, eh Mikey. Maybe that's because you've been up on charges yourself a few times."
 
 "No mystery there. I'm sure you've seen my sheet."

"As a matter of fact, I have. And, I read up on your family background, too. Your parents got here in the fifties, but there were still a lot of relatives left behind in the homeland. So, tell me, do you keep in touch with any of them? Maybe you're in business with someone over there, and maybe they've been supplying you with some valuable cargo. Believe me,  that's something we can find out. So why don't you save us all the trouble of a lengthy investigation, and just tell us what we need to know."

"You're crazy," Huong muttered. "Just get out of here and take your smart mouth with you, Detective. I have nothing more to say. And like I said before, I know my rights. I want my lawyer right here beside me before I answer any more of your stupid questions."

This is great too.

[Matt5]

5 minutes ago, mjcmmv said:

It was a great exercise-I really enjoyed it!

Yes me too a lot. As @Robbie C. said organic.

 

[sdiegolo78]

Great read and story! Is there any sequel in the pipeline?

[Robbie C.]

Haven't really thought about it.